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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. AUGUST 4. 2016 — PAGE 3B
Closing the pool for another season
Closing a pool at the
end of the swimming sea
son can be bittersweet.
Homeowners may be sad to
bid adieu to the lazy days of
splashing and swimming,
but ready to embrace the
cooler weather and the
beauty of autumn. Before
the leaves begin to fall from
the trees, pool owners must
prepare to close, or winter
ize, their pools.
•Gather your supplies.
Make a list of the supplies
you need to close the pool.
Having everything on hand
will make the process far
more efficient than trying
to wing it. Closing a pool
can be a large job, so it pays
to have some extra hands
available. Enlist some help
ers who will be available
to hand you materials or
to assist with placing the
cover on the pool — which
can be challenging to do on
your own.
•Don’t wait until the last
minute to purchase neces
sary chemicals. The chem
icals used throughout the
season will also be needed
in the winterization pro
cess. Therefore, be sure you
have enough before pool
supplies become difficult to
find in area stores. These
include sanitizer, algaecide
and pH-balancing chemi
cals.
•Clean the entire pool area.
Ensuring the pool water and
the surface of the pool is
clean can make reopening
the pool easy. Vacuum the
pool thoroughly, removing
any debris and organic mat
ter that can contribute to
algae growth. Don't forget
to brush down the walls of
the pool and clean the jets
and area where the filter
skimmer meets the pool.
Pool walls have plenty of
crevices where algae can
hide and multiply.
•Test the water. Leading
pool products manufac
turer Hayward recom
mends adjusting the pH
to between 7.2 and 7.8 to
prevent stains, scaling and
algae growth. Alkalinity
should be 80 to 125 ppm
for plaster/gunite pools and
125 to 150 ppm for other
pool types. Test the level
of available chlorine, and
super-chlorinate the pool to
maintain a sanitation level
of at least 4 ppm. Once the
pool cover is on, the amount
of chlorine that escapes due
to sunlight and evaporation
will decrease. An algaecide
may be used, if desired, as
well. In very cold climates,
a pool-water antifreeze may
be necessary. Check with
your pool supply retailer for
more information.
•Run the filter. Run the fil
ter at least 24 hours before
disassembling the filter for
the season. This will help
circulate any chemicals
added through the water.
•Drain the pool's water to
the appropriate level. Water
should fall just below the
skimmer opening. Many
pools do not need to be
completely drained for the
winter.
•Shut off the filter pump,
heater and any other equip
ment. Let all water drain out
and allow equipment to dry
before storing them away.
Follow the manufacturer's
directions for lubrication
and covering. Install freeze
plugs if you choose to use
them.
•Adjust electricity set
tings. Turn off the circuit to
outdoor outlets that feed the
pool equipment, testing to
make sure the power is off.
•Put accessories away.
Remove any ladders, div
ing boards, slides, external
drain lines, and other rec
reational materials from
the pool, storing them in a
garage or shed so they are
not subjected to potentially
harsh winter weather.
•Inflate air pillows to
roughly 80 percent full if
you will be using them.
Gather your helpers to
attach the pool cover or leaf
catcher net. Secure it thor
oughly with anchors, water
bags, wire fasteners, or
whatever method is appli
cable for the cover and pool
type. Remember, a quality
pool cover will last for sev
eral years and keep leaves.
dust and other unwanted
items out of the water.
Come early autumn,
homeowners can begin
closing their pools to keep
them secure and clean until
the next swimming season
begins.
Help kids overcome a fear of needles
Immunizations are an inte
gral part of a healthy life
style. Physicians and various
health organizations advise
that children and adults
adhere to a specific schedule
of vaccinations that can help
them develop antibodies to
fend off a variety of illnesses.
Unfortunately for kids who
fear needles, most immu
nizations are administered
intravenously.
Children fearful of nee
dles are typically hesitant,
if not petrified, to receive
their immunizations.
However, failure to receive
recommended vaccinations
increases a child’s suscep
tibility to various diseases,
and kids who do not receive
their immunizations may
be running afoul of the law.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics' immunization
schedule calls for children to
get the bulk of their vaccines
before age two. However,
additional vaccines must be
administered later in life.
And while many children
outgrow their fear of nee
dles as they approach adoles
cence, some may still resist.
To make the immunization
process less painful for chil
dren. parents can take certain
steps.
•Put on a smile. Children
take their cues from their par
ents. If you show nerves or let
on that you are nervous about
the immunization shots, your
son or daughter may take
note of your apprehension
and become even more
scared of needles than he or
she already is. Make light of
what is going to happen if the
child understands what the
visit is all about. Downplay
any discomfort and resist the
urge to say “don't worry.” It
may actually give the child
the impression there is some
thing to worry about.
•Be open and honest. Older
children may appreciate
hearing the truth instead of
being told a tall tale about
the immunization process.
Explain that the needle will
only briefly penetrate the
skin, meaning the procedure
will be done very quickly.
•Don’t make shots a form
of punishment. The threat
“behave or the doctor will
give you a shot.” is not help
ful at all. It will only com
pound fears of shots and
paint the picture that they are
a punishment rather than a
necessity.
•Listen to concerns. Let
your child speak to you about
why he or she is nervous
about receiving a shot. Offer
your support in a warm, mat
ter-of-fact way.
•Offer a distraction. Let the
child hold a video game or
incentivize the process by
promising a sweet or favorite
treat, which can take your
child’s focus off of the shot
being administered.
•Hold your child. Kids
may find that sitting on a
parent’s lap assuages their
fears. For older children who
can't fit on your lap. let them
hug you or hold your hand
for comfort.
•Use a topical anesthetic.
Ask the doctor or nurse if
there is a numbing swab or
spray that can be used to take
the bite out of the needle.
•Lead by example. Take
your child with you when
you receive vaccinations, so
that he or she can witness
that the process is both quick
and painless.
Immunization shots are
seldom fun for children or
adults, but there are strategies
to make the entire process
less painful.
Keep pets cool, comfortable and safe during hot weather
Summer may be a time
for vacations and recre
ational activities for human
beings, but pets may not be
privy to the same luxuries.
Summer recreation may not
always include our four
legged friends, as summer
heat and other issues can
pose a threat to companion
animals. As a result, pet par
ents must make pet safety a
priority when the weather
heats up.
The Humane Society of
the United States says that
the summer months can be
uncomfortable and danger
ous for pets. Temperatures
that may be tolerable for
adults and children who
are dressed accordingly but
may not be so for animals
covered in fur. It’s vital to
help pets stay comfortable
and safe as summer tem
peratures heat up. Pet par
ents also must be aware of
particular dangers that go
hand-in-hand with summer
time activities.
•Practice vehicle safety. It
is never acceptable to leave
pets in parked cars, even
for a minute. Temperatures
inside vehicles can rise
quickly and considerably in
a matter of minutes, even
with the windows opened
slightly. HSUS says on an
85-degree-day, temperatures
inside parked cars can reach
102 F within 10 minutes.
Pets can suffer irreversible
and even fatal organ dam
age in that period of time.
If you have to ran errands,
keep dogs and cats at home
where they will be more
comfortable.
•Stay off of hot asphalt.
If you’ve ever walked on
the hot sand or an asphalt
driveway on a hot day. you
understand just how scorch
ing those surfaces can get.
Dogs and cats do not have
protective shoes to wear, so
safeguard the delicate pads
of their paws by keeping
companion animals off
of hot surfaces. Schedule
walks in the early morning
or late afternoon when tem
peratures are cooler.
•Schedule a pet groom
ing visit. The American
Veterinary Medical
Foundation suggests speak
ing with your veterinarian
to see if it’s appropriate
for your pet to get clipped
shorter or to be shaved in
the summer. But a fur coat
can offer protection from the
sun, so weigh the pros and
cons before taking action.
Apply sunscreen to your
dog’s skin if he or she has a
thin coat.
•Provide a way for pets
to cool off. If you’re hot.
chances are your pet is hot,
too. Offer a means for pets
too cool off, such as a wad
ing pool when you are out
side. Offer plenty of fresh
water. Keep pets who do not
enjoy the heat indoors with
the air conditioner running
on hot days.
•Look for indicators of
heat stress. The American
Veterinary Association says
heat stress is marked by
heavy panting, dry or bright
red gums, thick drool, vom
iting. diarrhea, or wobbly
legs. Move pets exhibiting
such symptoms to a cool
place, drape a damp towel
over the animal’s body,
rewetting the cloth frequent
ly, and get the animal to the
vet as soon as you possibly
can.
•Exercise caution in the
water. Dogs can get swept
away by rip currents just like
human swimmers. If you
will be boating, invest in a
life jacket for your pooch
and look for water hazards,
such as currents, sink holes.
Visit us online at MadisonJournalTODAY.com
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Madison County Little League
**Baseball and Softball Signups**
FOR FALL BALL
10:00 a.m. - 2:0 0 p.m.
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sat., July 30, Aug. 6, Aug. 13
Tues., Aug. 16 & Thurs. Aug. 18
Cost: $50.00 cash or check
$53.00 debit or credit cards
Baseball & Softball ages: 7-16
LOCATION FOR SIGN-UPS:
Madison County Rec. Dept. - Upstairs in Football Building
For Information and online registration:
http: / / www.madisoncountyll.com
Website: www.madisoncountylittleleague.com
Facebook page: Madison County Little League
or call
Roy Combs - VP for Softball - 706-201-8020
Nicole Bridges, VP - 706-340-3308
Jackie Taylor - President - 706-338-7032
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